Cloth roll feeding apparatus



1963 T. w. MARTIN, SR

CLOTH ROLL FEED INC: APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 24, 1966 INVENTOR. 77mm? W Mflflmg 51?. BY 34 2 9,, d. W

ATTORNEY 1963 T. w. MARTIN, sR

CLOTH ROLL FEEDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 24, 1966 I NVENTOR filo/ HS W Maw/4% United States atent O 3,412,950 CLOTH ROLL FEEDING APPARATUS Thomas W. Martin, Sr., Nashville, Tenn., assignor t Cutters Machine Company Inc., Nashville, Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Filed Oct. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 588,983 4 Claims. (Cl. 24254) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pair of feed rollers rotatably mounted horizontal and parallel to each other and spaced apart sufficiently to support a cloth roll, the surface of each feed roller having a plurality of circumferentially alternating elongated rib members and elongated depressions, at least one of the feed rollers comprising a plurality of coaxial roller sections with the rib members on the roller sections being axially dis-aligned.

This invention relates to a cloth roll feeding apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for accumulating the the excess slack in a cloth roll while it is supported and fed by the apparatus.

This cloth feeding apparatus has been specifically employed for supporting and feeding cloth from a cloth roll in a cloth spreading machine, and is an improvement over the cloth supporting and feeding apparatus disclosed in US. Patent application of Thomas W. Martin, Sr., et al., Ser. No. 540,026, filed Apr. 4, 1966, for Cloth Spreading Machine.

Although corrugated or fluted rollers are known in the textile mahinery art, the construction and function of such rollers are to provide better traction between the roller and the web or strand for drawing or feeding the web or strand.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cloth roll feeding apparatus incorporating feed rollers for not only supporting but also feeding cloth from the roll in a manner to eliminate excess slack in the cloth.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cloth roll feeding apparatus incorporating cloth feed rollers which bear the full weight of the cloth roll and means for minimizing the excess slack produced by the weight of the roll on the feed rollers.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cloth roll feeding apparatus incorporating cloth feed rollers having circumferentially spaced projections and depressions for accumulating and feeding out the excess slack caused by the weight of the roll bearing upon the feed rollers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cloth roll feeding apparatus incorporating a pair of horizontal, parallel, spaced rollers provided with circumferentially spaced rib members for supporting and feeding cloth from a cloth roll.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein;

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the cloth roll feeding apparatus made in accordance with this invention as incorporated on a cloth spreading machine;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged end elevation of one of the feed rollers disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation, somewhat similar to FIG. 2, showing modified feed rollers supporting a cloth roll in phantom, with the frame elements omitted;

Patented Nov. 26, 1968 FIG. 6 is a top plan view of one of the modified feed rollers disclosed in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevation of one of the feed rollers disclosed in FIGS. 5 and 6; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along the line 88 of FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, FIGS. 1 and 2 disclose a cloth roll support frame 10, such as that mounted on a cloth spreading machine, having a. pair of parallel side plates 11 and 12 secured together and spaced apart by an angle beam 13 and a front spacer rod 14.

Rotatably mounted in appropriate bearings in the side plates 11 and 12 and in the central bearing block 16 is a front feed roller shaft 17 upon which are coaxially fixed one or more front rollers 18. In a similar manner, a rear cloth feed roller shaft 19 supporting one or more rear cloth feed rollers 20 is also rotatably journaled in appropriate bearings in the side Walls 11 and 12 and in the central bearing block 21. The roller shafts 17 and 19 and rollers 18 and 20 are spaced apart parallel to each other and horizontal in the frame 10. The combined lengths of the tandem feed rollers 18 and 20 are sufficient to substantially span the length of the support frame 10 in order to adequately support a cloth roll 24. The feed rollers 18 and 20 are also mounted to support the entire weight of the cloth roll 24, which is mounted above and upon the feed rollers 18 and 20, so that the center of gravity of the cloth roll 24 is between both feed rollers 18 and 20.

In order to maintain the cloth roll 24 confined against lateral movement, or movement longitudinally of the feed rollers 18 and 20, a pair of upstanding guide standards 25 and 26 may be fixed to the side plates or frame members 11 and 12 to extend upwardly at opposite ends of the cloth feed roll 24. Each standard, such as 25, is provided with a vertical track or guideway 27 adapted to receive a slide block 28. Projecting inwardly from each slide block is a spindle 29 supporting a conical end bearing 30 to be received in each opposite end of the core of the cloth roll 24. Thus, the conical end bearings 30 are free to move vertically with the core of the cloth roll 24 as the diameter of the roll 24 is reduced by unwinding, and yet the cloth roll 24 is maintained centered upon the feed rollers 18 and 20 to assure the lateral stability of the feed roll 24 on the frame 10.

Both feed rollers 18 and 20 are of identical size and shape and are adapted to be driven in the same direction, such as the direction of the arrows disclosed in FIG. 2. One such means for driving the feed rollers 18 and 20 in the same direction and at the same speed may be through the feed roller drive shaft 33, which may be driven by any convenient motive means, such as an electrical motor, not shown. As best disclosed in FIG. 1, drive sprocket 34 is fixed to the left end of the drive shaft 33 and drives through chain 35 the driven sprocket 36 fixed on the left end of front roller shaft 17. In a similar manner, the drive sprocket 38 is also fixed to the same shaft 33 and drives through chain 39 the driven sprocket 40 fixed on the left end of rear roller shaft 19. In this particular arrangement, the drive sprockets 34 and 38 are of identical size, and the driven sprockets 36 and 40 are of identical size so that the front and rear feed rollers 18 and 20 will be driven at the same speed. Moreover, the drive shaft 33 is driven in the direction to rotate the feed rollers 18 and 20 in the direction of the arrows disclosed in FIG. 2.

Since each feed roller 18 and 20 is identical in size, shape and construction, only the particular construction of one of the front feed rollers 18 will be considered. As best disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 4, one of the front feed rollers 18 is constructed of a pair of annular end hubs 42 keyed to the roller shaft 17. The end hubs 42 in turn support a hollow cylindrical tube 43 which extends the length of the roller 18 and is coxial with the shaft 17. Mounted tightly upon or fixed to the outer surface of the tube 43 is a molded one-piece annular roller cover or sleeve 44 made of a material, such as neoprene, and forming an outer roll-engaging surface of alternating elongated rib members 45 and elongated depressions or cavities 46. As particularly disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 4, the elongated rib members 45 are of identical shape, size and extent and are uniformly spaced at 45 angles about the circumference of the feeder roller 18. In a similar manner, the elongated depressions 46 are also of similar size, shape and extent and are also spared apart circumferentially of the roller at 45 intervals. FIG. 1 particularly discloses the longitudinal extent of the rib members 45 and depressions 46 and shows that the rib members 45 and elongated depressions 46 are parallel to the axis of the roller 18.

As best disclosed in FIG. 2, spacing of the rib members 45 and depressions 46 is sufficient to permit slack or excess cloth to be received in the depressions 46 as the rollers 18 and engage the outer layer of cloth on the cloth roll 24.

In similar types of cloth roll supporting and feeding devices in which the cloth feed rollers, upon which a cloth roll is mounted, have truly cylindrical surfaces, it has been found that the feed rollers make indentations or depressions in the portions of the cloth engaged by the feed rollers, so that the cloth on either side and between the feed rollers sags and creates slack both between and on either side of the feed rollers. As the cylindrical feed rollers are driven to unwind the cloth the amount of slack multiplies with each revolution of the cloth roll 24. Such slack develops because the imaginary circumference of an ideal cloth feed roll which would not sag, and which is tangent to the cylindrical surfaces of the cloth feed roller is actually less than the actual circumference of the heavy cloth roll when indented by the feed rollers. Thus, the actual circumference of each layer of cloth on the roll is slightly greater than the rotational circumference at which the roll is driven, and for each revolution of the roll, there is an increased increment of sag or slack in the cloth. This sagging or slack in the cloth usually accumulates either between the feed rollers or behind the rear feed roller as the cloth roll is rotated. Occasionally when a suflicient amount of slack cloth is accumulated, it is carried between one of the feed rollers and the cloth roll, periodically causing bunched or creased material in the web of cloth fed from the feed rollers.

It has been found that by constructing the feed rollers such as 18 and 20, with the alternating rib members 45 and depressions 46, the increment of slack material developed on each revolution of the cloth roll 24 is accumulated between the rib members 45 and in the depressions 46, so that the accumlated slack material is continually fed, without creasing, away from the roll and the feed rollers. In carrying out this invention for feeding out the excess accumulated slack material, feed rollers which are corrugated or finely fluted would probably not provide sufiicient spacing between the corrugations or provide adequate depressions for accumulating and feeding out the slack cloth. Consequently, the spacing between the rib members 45 and the depth of the depressions 46 must be great enough to adequately handle the slack material developed in cloth rolls 24 of great weight.

As best disclosed in FIG 1, the rib members 45 of the right front roller 18 are disaligned with the rib members 45 of the left front roller 18. The purpose of the disaligned ribbed rollers or roller sections is to eliminate bumping or undulated feeding of the web, which would normally result where the rib members 45 are axially aligned. Moreover, aligned rib members 45 on serially aligned rollers 18 causes interrupted feeding, since the web is periodically engaged and fed only by the aligned rib members. Whereas, transversely aligned rollers 18 having disaligned rib members 45 will have a rib member 45 on one or the other roller 18 engaging and feeding the web practically constantly. The feeding efficiency can be improved by additional rollers in series and by the proper rotational angles of each roller 18 relative to the shaft 17. The rib members in the feed rollers 20 are also disaligned.

Modified cloth feed rollers 48 and 50 are disclosed in FIG. 5 which are desinged to accomplish substantially the same function as the feed rollers 18 and 20. Since the construction of the feed rollers 48 and 50 are identical to each other, then only the particular construction of the front feed roller 48 will be considered.

The front feed roller 48, as best disclosed in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 is provided with a pair of end hubs 52 keyed to the front roller shaft 47. The hubs 52 are also secured by elongated spacer bars 53.

Formed on the interior of each hub 52 and axially aligned with each other are radially disposed guide slots 55, each of which slidably receives a guide block 56. Fixed between axially aligned pairs of slidable guide blocks 56 are elongated rib members or slats 57. Each rib member 57 is biased radially outwardly by a coil spring 58 disposed around a spring post 59 fixed in collar 60 about the shaft 47 and projecting into spring well 61 formed in each slat 57.

Each slide block 56 is provided with a radially elongated slot 63 for receiving a stop pin or screw 64 projecting through the hub 52 into the guide slot 55. Thus, the slide blocks 56 and consequently the rib members 57 are limited in their radial movement.

Similar elements are shown by primed reference numbers in the rear feed roller 50 in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, the front and rear feed rollers 48 and 50 are rotatably mounted in the same or similar manner as the feed rollers 18 and 20 in any suitable support frame, not shown, and a cloth roll, such as the cloth roll 24, is mounted on top of the feed rollers 48 and 50. Feed rollers 48 and 50 are driven in the direction of the arrows disclosed in FIG. 5, in the same manner as the feed rollers 18 and 20 are driven. If the weight of the feed roll 24 is suflicient to develop slack in the roller layers of cloth, then the feed rollers 48 and 50 will function in a manner similar to the feed rollers 18 and 20 to accumulate and feed out this excess slack. As will be shown in FIG. 5, the elongated rib members 57 and 57 are uniformly spaced in the same manner as the rib members 45. However, because of the difference in construction of the rib members 57, 57' and the rib member 45, the cavity or depression corresponding to the depressions 46 in the feed rollers 18 and 20 are formed merely by the empty spaces between the rib members 57 or 57', and are radially as deep as the roller shafts 47 and 49, respectively. Consequently, more than adequate space is provided between the rib members 57 and 57' to accumulate the excess slack of cloth.

Moreover, the construction of rollers 48 and 50 permits radial compression of the rib members 57 and 57' as they are engaged by the outer layer of cloth on the roll 24'. Furthermore, the extent of compression of the rib members 57 is dependent upon the weight of the roll 24' and the strength of the springs 59. Thus, some excess slack can be eliminated by permitting the partial retraction of the rib members 57 and 57' so that they will not project so far into the cloth roll 24' relative to the space between them. Moreover, the retractibility of the rib members 57 permits them to project upwardly and engage a large portion of slack material as they approach engagement with the cloth layer on the roll 24'. Thus, even during their retraction, the rib members 57 and 57' still engage and pull the slack material with the movement of the respective rollers 48 and 50.

It will therefore be seen that a cloth roll feeding and supporting apparatus has been provided which has overcome the severe problem of accumulation and the consequent creasing and bunching of cloth when it is fed from a heavy cloth roll which is supported solely upon a pair of feed rollers. The construction of such a cloth feed roll supporting and feeding aparatus as that incorporated in this invention is particularly advantageous when incorporated in a cloth spreading machine where long sheets or webs of cloth are continuously fed from heavy rolls to spread a plurality of layers of cloth, in order to eliminate creasing or bunching of the cloth.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cloth roll feeding apparatus comprising:

(a) a cloth roll support frame,

(b) a pair of feed rolers rotatably mounted horizontally and parallel in said frame,

(c) said feed rollers being spaced apart sufiiciently to support a cloth roll parallel to, above and upon said feed rollers,

(d) each feed roller having a roll-engaging surface comprising a plurality of circumferentially alternating elongated rib members and elongated depressions parallel to the axis of said corresponding feed roller, whereby any slack in the cloth of said roll is accumulated in said depressions,

(e) at least one of said feed rollers comprising a plurality of axially aligned roller sections, the rib members on said roller sections being axially disaligned.

2. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising means driving said feed rollers in the same direction and at the same linear velocity.

3. The invention according to claim 1 in which said feed rollers are of uniform size and shape and said rib members are of substantially uniform size and circumferential spacing.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which each feed roller comprises means mounting each rib member for independent radial movement, and means biasing each rib member radially outwardly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,355,107 10/1920 Johnstone 24266 2,447,604 8/1948 Taggart 24266 X 3,048,347 8/1962 Edmonds 24278.7 3,164,332 1/1965 Walker et a1 24266 WILLIAM S. BURDEN, Primary Examiner. 

